Folk Music Guitar Lessons for Beginners

These free folk music guitar lessons are for beginners who want to learn how to play folk music on the guitar.

Introduction to Folk Music

Folk music is a genre of music that typically uses acoustic instruments and focuses on traditional music. Folk music can be from any country or region, and is often passed down through generations. Folk music is a great genre to learn if you are a beginner guitarist because it is relatively simple and can be very enjoyable to play.

What is Folk Music?

Folk music is a genre of music that typically uses acoustic instruments and emphasizes traditional songwriting and singing. It often has roots in the oral tradition, which means that it is passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Folk music often includes elements of traditional music from a particular region or culture, but it can also be heavily influenced by more modern styles.

Origins of Folk Music

Folk music has its origins in the oral tradition of storytelling. Folk songs were originally transmitted via word of mouth, and they were often about real-life events and people. As folk music began to be written down, it took on different forms, ranging from ballads (narrative poems set to music) to dance tunes.

Over time, folk music has evolved to include a wide variety of genres and subgenres. Some popular examples of folk music include bluegrass, country, Celtic, and blues. Folk music is often passed down from generation to generation, and it continues to evolve as new artists put their own spin on traditional tunes.

Folk Music on the Guitar

Folk music can be traced back to the 13th century and has undergone many changes over time. Though it was originally intended for the working class, folk music has been enjoyed by all classes throughout the years. Folk music on the guitar is a popular choice for many beginners. It is a great way to learn the basics of the guitar and get a feel for the instrument.

Basic Guitar Chords for Folk Music

If you’re a beginner guitarist, learning some basic chords is a great place to start. For folk music, there are a few chords in particular that you’ll want to focus on. In this lesson, we’ll take a look at some of the most commonly used chords in folk guitar so that you can get started playing your favorite songs.

One of the great things about folk music is that it only uses a few basic chords. This means that even if you’re just starting out on the guitar, you can still play a lot of great songs. The most common chords used in folk music are the following:

E minor: fret the 2nd string at the 1st fret with your 1st finger and fret the 3rd string at the 2nd fret with your 3rd finger.

A major: fret the 2nd string at the 2nd fret with your 1st finger and fret the 3rd string at the 2nd fret with your 2nd finger.

D major: fret the 1st string at the 2nd fret with your 1st finger and fret the 2nd string at the 3rd fret with your 3rd finger.

G major: place your 3rd finger on the 3rd string at the second fret and your 4th finger on the 4th string one frets higher (at the third fret). Then, hold down both those strings while strumming just those two strings.

Folk Music Strumming Patterns

If you’re a beginner guitar player, or even if you’ve been playing for a while but have never really studied strumming, this article and video are for you. In this lesson, we’re going to look at five different strumming patterns that are commonly used in folk music. These strumming patterns can be used with any chord progression in any time signature, so once you have them down, you can use them in a lot of different songs.

The first strumming pattern we’re going to look at is sometimes called “straight 8ths” or “down-up-down-up.” To play this pattern, you’ll strum down on the beat, up on the “and” of the beat, down on the next beat, and up on the “and” of the next beat. So it would go like this: down-up-down-up, down-up-down-up, etc. You can hear this pattern in a lot of different songs, such as “This Land Is Your Land” and “Oh! Susanna.”

The second strumming pattern we’re going to look at is sometimes called “offbeat 8ths” or “syncopated 8ths.” To play this pattern, you’ll need to accent the offbeats — that is, the “and” counts between the main beats. So it would go like this: down on 1, up on the “and” of 1, down on 2, up on the “and” of 2, etc. This pattern is used a lot in waltzes and other 3/4 time songs such as “The House of the Rising Sun” and “My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean.”

The third strumming pattern is similar to the first one but with double upticks instead of double downticks. So it would go like this: down-up-down-up-down-up, down-up-down-up-down-up, etc. This strumming pattern is sometimes called “shuffle 8ths” because it has a nice lilt to it that makes you want to tap your feet. You can hear it in blues songs such as Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago” and Hank Williams Jr.

Folk Music Fingerpicking Patterns

Fingerpicking is a pattern of play in which the thumb picks out a melody on the lower strings while the fingers pluck the rhythm on the higher strings. This approach to guitar playing can be applied to any genre, but is most commonly associated with folk music. In this lesson, we’ll learn some basic fingerpicking patterns that you can use in your own folk music playing.

The first pattern we’ll look at is a simple alternating bass pattern. To play this pattern, start by plucking the low E string with your thumb. Then, pluck the A string with your index finger. Next, pluck the low E string again with your thumb. Finally, pluck the D string with your middle finger. This completes one cycle of the pattern. To continue, simply repeat this cycle over and over again.

The second pattern builds on the first by adding a second note to the melody. In this pattern, start by plucking the low E string with your thumb. Then, pluck the A string with your index finger. Next, pluck the D string with your middle finger. Finally, pluck the G string with your ring finger. This completes one cycle of the pattern. To continue, simply repeat this cycle over and over again.

The third and final pattern is similar to the first two, but adds a third note to the melody. In this pattern, start by plucking the low E string with your thumb. Then, pluck the A string with your index finger. Next, pluck the D string with your middle finger. Finally, pluck the B string with your pinky finger

Folk Music Songs for Beginners

If you want to learn to play Folk songs on the guitar, you’ve come to the right place! This page will provide you with some essential tips and tricks to get you started playing Folk songs on the guitar. We’ll also recommend some Folk music guitar lessons for beginners, so you can start learning the right way.

“Wildwood Flower” by The Carter Family

“Wildwood Flower” is a classic folk song that has been recorded by many artists over the years. The Carter Family was one of the first to record it, and their version remains one of the most popular. This song is perfect for beginners because it uses simple chords and has a slow, steady rhythm.

“In the Pines” by Lead Belly

“In the Pines” is one of the most popular American folk songs. Lead Belly made it famous in the early 1900s, but it’s believed to date back to the 18th century. The song is about a murderer who hides in the pines after committing his crime. He’s eventually discovered and hanged, but not before he asks the pines to keep his body safe.

The song has been covered by a wide range of artists, including Nirvana, who gave it a grunge makeover in 1994. “In the Pines” is a great song for beginners because it’s easy to play and sing.

“House of the Rising Sun” by Lead Belly

“House of the Rising Sun” is a traditional folk song from the United States. It is sometimes called “Rising Sun Blues”. The song tells the story of a life gone wrong in New Orleans. Many artists have recorded versions of the song, including Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, and Eric Burdon & the Animals.

The song was first recorded by Lead Belly in 1933. He was a folk and blues singer from Louisiana. Lead Belly learned the song from a family member who had been to New Orleans. The song became popular because of Lead Belly’s recordings and performances.

“House of the Rising Sun” is played in the key of A minor. The chords you will need to know are A minor, D minor, E minor, and G major. You can find guitar tabs for the song online or in some guitar books.

Conclusion

Now that you know the basics of folk guitar, you can start playing your favorite songs. Remember to practice regularly and listen to as much folk music as you can. With time and practice, you’ll be playing like a pro in no time.